May The Odds Be Ever In Your Favor

"May the odds be ever in your favor,"

-The Hunger Games: Effie Trinket

I went to the midnight premiere of The Hunger Games last night and it did not disappoint! *There will be spoilers coming* Some of my friends did not like what the movie adaption decided to cut, but I found it understandable for some scenes. You need to keep the basic plot line and the director has to make some choices of what to not include. It was already a 2 hr 22min long movie, so any more scenes would have brought it up to 3hours or more. A critic also has to realize that the movie has to be converted from first to third person. I think it was a fine production and I understand the choices that the director had to scrap.

I loved the camera angles, though at times it was a bit confusing and dizzying. They shot it documentary style with a shaking camera and smaller view of the entire scene. I was fine with it since that it made me feel that I was in District 12 or in the Arena and it stayed true to the tone of the books.

The acting was amazing, no actor or actress disappointed me at the slightest. The cast is relatively young and most do not have a lot of experience, yet every emotion was convincing and the lines were well said.

The sound track to the movie is also wonderful -it has a few mainstream artists, but the majority of it is nonmainstream. A huge plus is that The Decemberists are on it, one of my favorite bands. The lyrics all go wonderfully with the movie, though they were not used. I'm glad that they were not though, because I like listening to the score as well.

All in all, I was happy with how it turned out. I wished a few scenes were in it, but I can understand why they were not included. The added scenes with Seneca Crane and President Snow, however, were phenomenal and set up Catching Fire extremely well, along with the scene of District 11.

Only 608 more days until the next movie.

Walk Through the Fire

I touch the fire,

And it freezes me,

I look into it and it's black.
Why can't I feel?

My skin should crack and peel,

I want the fire back.

-Buffy The Vampire Slayer: Walk Through the Fire

Today is the 15th anniversary of Buffy The Vampire Slayer! Originally airing on March 10, 1997. Call me crazy to know this, but I do love this show and its spinoff Angel to pieces.

In honor of this lovely occasion, I am listing my top five favorite Buffy episodes:


5. Fool For Love

Flashbacks are a huge weakness for me. I love any episode with flashbacks, but this was one of my favorites. My favorite character is Angel, but we see tons of flashbacks of him once he is on his own show. This episode shows us Spike's past more in depth, including his human life. We see how Spike transitioned from a sad love-struck poet to the second most feared vampire in history. And we also see the cruelty of Buffy as she dumps the same line on Spike that Cecily gave him so many years ago.

4. Hush

The silent episode. One of the few episodes I loved for season 4.  In this episode, the voices of Sunnydale are stolen by The Gentleman and Buffy must save the day by screaming her head off. The actions of the characters were flawless; it was the subtle things that made this episode great. It revealed how much Xander loved Anya and it introduced Tara to the audience. It also provided a "wtf" moment when Buffy and Riley collide with each other when fighting. To add to the tension, neither could explain why they were there. Only Buffy could have such great moments and include barely any dialogue.

3. Once More with Feeling

Ah the musical episode, self-explanatory. The songs revealed hidden secrets of each of the characters, forcing them out into the open. Since the beginning of season six, everyone was hiding something and this episode revealed it all to the other characters... in style. The songs were skillfully written and the actors didn't have the worst voices. It was a silly plot, a dancing demon (no something isn't right there), but it worked. The songs were catchy, the episode unforgettable, and extremely original. I believe that this episode helped show that current shows like Glee would have good ratings for television audiences.

2. The Gift

A spectacular finale to season 5, one of my favorites. I liked everything about this season in general, especially Glory. Buffy is faced with the age-old question: If you had to choose, would you save one family member you loved or a group of a thousand strangers? Buffy reveals her deep love for her sister as she sacrifices herself. I teared during this part and I know the amazing score did not help. This episode had been foreshadowed in previous seasons with the time of 7:30 displayed on a clock, but I could not imagine our slayer dying (again).

1. Becoming Part I and II

No episode for me beats the two part season 2 finale. It is intense and filled with emotions as Buffy must kill her boyfriend for the fate of the world. She prepared herself mentally to kill the evil Angelus, but she did not realize she would have to kill the souled Angel, who could not remember the recent events. Willow performs her very first spell, restoring Angel's soul. Of course, she does this after the portal is opened and all hell is about to break loose, leaving Buffy with one of the worst decisions she would have to face. This was the very first episode I saw, and was utterly confused at first, until I went back and watched the series from the beginning. I love this episode and the intensity of it so much and the character development for the entire cast. Thank goodness Whedon decided to bring Angel back to have his spin-off, I would have been crushed without more David.


Of course there are many more episodes that I am in love with and this list was hard to make: The Wish, Doppelgangland, Passion, Amends, The Body, Restless, Chosen, Blood Ties, Surprise, Innocence, I Only Have Eyes For You, and so many more are other favorites of mine.

Luck and Skill

"He's very broken, like a lovely vase that someone has smashed. Only luck and skill can put it together the way it was before"
-The Infernal Devices: Magnus Bane

Happy leap day! Thanks to having only 23 hours and 56 minutes or so in the day, we get an extra day every four years. I thought it would be fun to blog today, a day in which we only have because we have no better system.

Anyways, I previously mentioned my love for writing fiction. About two weeks ago I decided to write a novella (yes a novella. Not a short story, novlet or novel) for my friend's birthday based on her favorite series. I'd like to think of it as extreme fan fiction. I created the cover of the book already and drew my own art, despite my lack of any artistic creativity. The chapters are short, but so far I have about 20 pages worth of text and it's no where near done. I'm hoping I can finish by March 20, but I'm not too sure if I can keep on schedule. It takes me an average of an hour to write one page, so it's a slow process. I have a new respect for authors. And I now understand why it takes a year or more to write a good novel.


My story takes place between Clockwork Prince and Clockwork Princess in the Infernal Devices prequel series, and between City of Fallen Angels and City of Heavenly Fire in the Mortal Instrument series and I have added my friend into the story.

I'm sure no one reading this blog has read either of the two related series, but here's an excerpt of my story anyways.


 It's a scene where the male protagonist Will Herondale, from 1800's London, is teleported to modern day New York City where he comes across his friend, an immortal warlock, Magnus Bane. Will, however, gets a surprise from Magnus, whom he last saw in England wearing a conservative gray coat. He gets a bit of a culture shock as well, when he sees Magnus in a relationship with another boy.

Will smiled, obviously amused at the attention. Lindsay had blue-green eyes that seemed to change like the sea and it reminded him of a quote by Herman Melville. There is one knows not what sweet mystery about this sea, whose gently awful stirrings seem to speak of some hidden soul beneath. Though he had never seen ocean himself, only the Thames River. Even in this new time period, Will had yet to see the ocean. But he managed to keep him busy with other new-found interests.

          Will had traveled to this millennium about three months ago and was teleported directly to the modern Magnus Bane, who remembered Will from over a century ago. However, Will was not sure if it was the same Magnus Bane. He had silver glitter running through his hair and wore pants patterned like a rainbow. On his nails were bright blue paint and underneath a modest leather coat, he had a black shirt with buckles running across it. If his appearance was not appalling enough, Will also interrupted Magnus kissing a boy who had Will’s similar black hair and blue eyes. All Will could get out was a curse and, “Bloody hell.”

Just Forget the World

If I lay here,

If I just lay here,
Would you lie with me,
And just forget the world?
-Snow Patrol: Chasing Cars

Happy belated Valentine's Day!... or as I also like to call, Single's Awareness Day. It would be nice to have another half, but I'm fine being independent, at least that's what I tell myself. I have no problem being single, but I do wonder what it would be like to finally have a boyfriend. Either way, it's a good excuse to devour chocolate.

 

How Do You Measure A Year in the Life?

It's time now- to sing out,

Though the story never ends,

Let's celebrate,

Remember a year in the life of friends!

-Rent: Seasons of Love

Thankfully midterms are over, marking the halfway point of the school year. It's a wonderful thought that school is almost over, but it's also sad to think about the different paths we will all take. I realized at the start of the year that I will never see some of my friends again after graduation, but I kept that thought surpressed. However, now that the year is already half gone, the realization has bubbled to the surface and hit me like a truck crashing into a brick wall. I am going to attempt to hold on to some of my dearest friends, but I know deep down that an attempt as such is futile for everyone. I still don't comprehend how my to-be college friends will ultimately be my friends for life. Shouldn't my friends of 12+ years have that privilege? Apparently not, according to the ways of the universe. It's hard to imagine having different friends, especially different core friends. But that's what college does, ultimately. It forces you to be independent and self-reliant as it teaches you how to make it in the real world... but I don't want that. I feel far from being that independent and not relying on my friends and family for guidance. Sure, that freedom will be great. But I'm just not ready for it completely yet.

Well, before I can think about life at college, I need to choose which college first. What college I attend will help decide what job I'm going to get. What job I'm going get determines everything. Choosing one college over another affects my entire future: jobs, friends, and even marraige. It's a huge decision to make, one in which I have no idea what to do. I'm torn between two colleges, and in the end, the decision can only be made by me.

It feels like the weight of the world is balanching on my shoulders, and I'm sure most other seniors feel the same way right about now. I thank midterms for adding all kinds of stress on me, directly and indirectly.

They're Playing Our Song

Blooming up from the ground,

3 rounds and a sound,

Like whispering you know me,

And you know me. 

-Blind Pilot: 3 Rounds and a Sound

Come on Skinny Love just last a year,

Pour a little salt we were never here,

My, my, my, my, my, my, my, my,

Staring at the sink of blood and crushed veneer.

-Bon Iver: Skinny Love

I want to swim away but don't know how,

Sometimes it just feels like I'm fallin' in the ocean,

Let the waves up take me down,

Let the hurricane set in motion, yeah,

Let the rain of what I feel right now, come down,

Let the ran come down.

-Blue October: Into the Ocean

I thought about the Big One, WW III,

Would we ever really care the world has ended, 

You could hold me here forever like you're holding me tonight,

I look at the big red button, and I'm tempted.

-Josh Ritter: Temptation of Adam

Things get damaged,

Things get broken,

I thought we'd manage,

But words left unspoken,

Left us so brittle,

There was so little left to give.

-Depeche Mode: Precious

I don't believe in anything but myself,

I don't believe in anything but myself,

But then you opened up a door, you opened up a door,

Now I start to believe in something else.
-Ingrid Michaelson: Soldier

There are more than just the iTunes Top 40 songs out there. Frankly, most of them are better too. These are a few of my favorite songs that haven't hit mainstream music, and I promise you you'll fall in love with at least one of these. So, open your ears start listening.

Guilty Pleasure

I came here to make you dance tonight,

I don't care about my guilty pleasure for you,

Shut up cause we won't stop,

And we're getting down till the sun's coming up.

-Cobra Starship: Guilty Pleasure

Sorry to disappoint, but I'm singing to my pencil here and not a mysterious lover. So. My guilty pleasure is that I write fictional stories whenever I get a chance to. I don't really share my writing with anyone, but I am currently starting a four part series that I think will continue to get complex. Each part of the series (each short story, if you will) is the same exact story, but told from four different views and each having their own twist on the events. I prefer writing fantasy than anything else, so this will be what the genre is.

I figured it would be easier to write the beginning of each story before I just dive into one at at time. I went with a Twilight Zone affect for the extremely short prologue because.. frankly, I'm too lazy to set the scene any other way.

**********

The Girl with the Glowing Eyes.

They didn't glow at first. Not until she opened her mind up to her true self did they begin to glow; the true self that she buried deep within her memories. It wasn't until her eyes glowed that her world fell apart from beneath her and she couldn't separate the lies from the truths.

The girl in this story doesn't fit into the norm of her society, but what would be the point of telling you a story about a boring and completely normal child? She lives in a world where male dominance still exists - women should be seen and not heard. But not her. Oh, definitely not her. She's different. The girl you see before you is defiant and strong minded. She's immortal, but she doesn't know that until her eyes glow. There's a different aura about her and this doesn't sit well with her father; however, her mother couldn't be more proud. Oh, and of course. There is love. No story is good without romance sprinkled throughout, especially one about two star crossed lovers. So let us leave our world and journey to Percnez.

~~~~~~~~~~

The Demon Who Became a God.

He didn't know he was a demon... or a god... until that girl's eyes glowed and opened up the secrets of his world. His once simple life became complex as he began to remember the past - 12,000 years before that girl's eyes glowed. 

The boy in this story is our handsome hero...or is he the villain? Nothing is good or bad, but thinking it makes it so. He's that perfect boy with a secret lying beneath the surface; a secret that he doesn't know at first. He lives in a world with masculinity is based on strength, speed and power. All of which he has. This boy is not different. He fits into the norm of his society like a cookie-cutter mold, but it is deep within him that is terrifyingly different. This is the boy that is madly in love with our lovely girl who's eyes will glow. He knows his love is true and he knows that in his heart (figurative heart) that they are meant to be together until all of the stars in the universe burn out. Nothing will stop him from being with that girl, not even that part deep within him yearning to get out. So let us leave our world and journey to Percnez.

~~~~~~~~~~

The Eater of Souls.

He was only focused on eating souls until that girl's eyes glowed and made him realize who she was. She was the missing piece of the puzzle that he had been looking for since her eyes last glowed so many years ago. He didn't regain any memory unlike the rest, he never lost it.

The demon in this story really wasn't feared until that other demon became a god. He was only the right hand man, but when that demon elevated up, he got his own promotion as the new image of nightmares. Demons look like any other person walking among us, but their eyes turn from a brilliant, enticing blue to a deep, sizzling red that burns into their victim's eyes as the suck the souls out of their limp bodies. This demon, however, is the Soul Eater that everyone fears. He doesn't kill to feed, but he focuses on the agony and pain he creates. Pain is his talent. So how does this Soul Eater tie in with our girl with the glowing eyes? Unknowing to her, she's his next target. He has been waiting for her since the last time her eyes glowed. So let us journey to Percnez.

~~~~~~~~~~

The Sister of the Girl.

She isn't her biological sister, but she didn't know that until her sister's eyes glowed. That is when she realized her part in the world as a human sister to the girl with the glowing eyes. Nothing more, nothing less. 

The sister in this story is overlooked by her peers. She is a human surrounded by humans, but caught up in the world of demons and Gods and Goddesses. She is not different than anyone else, just going through the motions and living her life as a pawn in the greater scheme of things. This sister was intertwined with the immortals by the Fates themselves. She is the keystone, however, to our stories. Unnoticed, yet the most important player. This sister reveals to us our true emotions and sees everything with an unbiased eye. She is what grounds the girl with the glowing eyes to Earth. Without this sister, the story would cease to exist and that girl's eyes would have never glowed. So let us journey to Percnez.

**********

If you didn't fall asleep yet or bang your head against the wall at how bad that was, I congratulate you. These will be my extremely short prologues for each story for the characters. I usually never post my stuff online, so I'll consider this as a big step forward even if the story(s) ends up horrible or never finished.